Openmoko releases their phone schematics- build your own phone now!

The Openmoko project has been one of the coolest and most inspiring project that I’ve followed in quite a while. In case you haven’t been on the same bandwagon, I’ll bring you up to speed. Openmoko is a project aimed at creating a new Linux-based phone and operating system for said phones that is completely open-sourced. To date, they have released two handsets and a GPS device that developers can purchase and customize as they see fit.

In an effort to be as open as possible, they have also previously released the CAD files to build your own version of their Neo1973 model. Today, they’ve taken things a step further and released the internal schematics for the Neo 1973 and Neo FreeRunner mobile phones. This means that any intrepid developer with the means and the time can now build themselves a GPS running phone completely from the ground up.

Now, Openmoko announced it will publish the schematics of the phone, giving engineers free reign to modify Neo phones. Just as Free and Open Source Software provides source code information, open schematics provide vital information to engineers who may want to add functionality, external instruments or sensors, or assist the company in debugging problems, ultimately creating a better product for the entire mobile community.

In theory, all of this openness should eventually equate to a whole new era in Linux-based phones, but right now, we all have to just be content that a lot of highly trained and intelligent individuals are tinkering with some seriously cool phones with all of us in mind.